Recent advances in communication technology, such as improved compression techniques and other efficient bandwidth utilization techniques now allow different types of media to be accessed by a variety media playback devices. For example, some wireless network operators now offer streaming video to wireless mobile stations.
Some implementations of providing streaming video include the ability to have “VCR-like” controls, i.e., pause, rewind and fast forward. These implementations are provided by cable television companies, which employ a head-end location that stores and provides streaming video to set-top boxes in subscriber residences. The video is typically stored in a common storage medium that is accessible by any set-top box. Additionally, due to infrastructure limitations, cable television companies typically provide streaming video only over their existing wired infrastructure to set-top boxes.